While NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden couldn't hang out with the coked-up throngs on the Oscar awards' red carpet, Citizenfour, the film following the NSA spying scandal, picked up the best documentary gong.

Directed by Laura Poitras, the film documents Snowden's first encounter with Poitras, and the time spent holed up in a hotel room with the Guardian's Glen Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill (and the fallout that the publication of their eventual report would bring.)

When Laura Poitras asked me if she could film our encounters, I was extremely reluctant. I’m grateful that I allowed her to persuade me. The result is a brave and brilliant film that deserves the honor and recognition it has received. My hope is that this award will encourage more people to see the film and be inspired by its message that ordinary citizens, working together, can change the world.